London, July 20 (TIWN) The UK's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip are set to move to Balmoral next month for a socially-distanced holiday with family after four months in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, media reports said.

The 94-year-old monarch has been in self-isolation in the Windsor Castle for four months, reportedly shielding from all but a handful of relatives and close friends, the Metro newspaper said in a report on Sunday.  Members of the royal family will meet for their annual summer gathering at Balmoral in Scotland but they will stay in separate lodgings on the Highlands estate.  The Queen will not host guests in the castle but will join them for walks, shoots, picnics and barbecues, according to The Sunday Times.  It's believed she will be accompanied by a number of new staff added to the 22-strong team who continued to work at Windsor Castle throughout lockdown.  The move is scheduled for early August but may be cancelled if safety issues or coronavirus rule changes arise.